Unplanned Pregnancy: You Have Options

Thousands of women find they are pregnant and do not know what to do about it. An unplanned pregnancy can destabilize you. You need to make a decision on how to deal with your pregnancy. It is a hard decision to make and you need to know all your options before making your choice. At the end of the day, you know what is best for you. 

If you are in this situation, you can find additional information on your available options by reading this article.

There are three options available if you find yourself pregnant. You can choose to have and raise the baby, have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption. We are going to explore those three options in detail.

• Have and raise the child

Deciding to be a parent can be easy or hard since there are several factors you need to take into consideration. Raising a child needs time and money. It requires a lifetime commitment and you need to be willing to put the child’s needs before yours. Some individual plans like advancing your career or continuing with school will take second place.

You also need to see if you have a strong support system to help you with the baby. Will they be okay with raising the baby? In case there is a fall-out with your partner, are you comfortable co-parenting? Do you want them in the life of your baby or do you want to do it alone? Are you ready to be a parent? Where will you get the money to buy the supplies needed?These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself. 

• Abortion

People have abortions for different reasons so it’s perfectly normal if you are thinking of terminating the pregnancy. Before you decide to have an abortion, you need to find out where you can do it and how it is done. There are Planned Parenthood clinics that perform abortions. There are different ways an abortion can be done from the abortion pill to clinical procedures. The type of method depends on how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Just because you opt for an abortion does not mean that you do not want children. It just means you are not ready to have one right now. To help you make your decision, you need to have unbiased facts from someone you trust. Once you do it, you cannot undo it. If you do it in an unsafe manner, you can experience complications that will affect your fertility so it is best to go to a licensed medical practitioner.

• Give the baby up for adoption 

You might want to go through the pregnancy and childbirth but not raise the baby. This is if you do not want to have an abortion but cannot afford to raise your baby because of various reasons. You can consider giving the baby up for adoption. The adoption process is legal and binding. You cannot give up the parental rights to the child then claim the child years later. Once you give up your baby, they are under the care of another family permanently.

Since the effects are permanent, you need to think carefully and consider all your options. You can seek guidance from trusted family and friends or seek counseling but the final decision rests with you. If you cannot give the child a good life, you are better off letting someone else take care of your child. 

There is a lot of debate surrounding abortion. The pro-choice or pro-life campaign both gets support. There are those who believe that the choice to have a baby lies with the mother since the baby grows in her. Others believe the baby has a say at the moment of conception. Whatever your stand is, the decision of whether to parent, abort or put the baby up for adoption rests with you. 

Do not let anyone make the decision for you. It is your life and you know your needs best. If you are not sure of the next step, you can ask those you trust. Being with people who support you can make the decision easier as they will be there for you regardless of the decision you make.